This program is focused on exploring and developing nanostructures, “nanomachines” that utilize their mechanical degrees of freedom to convert energy and information from one form to another.  Central goals include controlling nanomachine behavior down to atomic length scales, understanding how dissipation affects nanomachine activity, and performing energy transduction processes with quantum limited control.  The program focuses on fabrication and characterization of molecular scale nanomachines, and phase coherent control of nanomachines. 

Controlling the behavior of nanomachines down to the atomic scale will require the development of new techniques for assembling molecular nanostructures and for incorporating them into operational devices. At the smallest length scales the placement of even a single atom can change nanomachine function, and so new methods for creating atomically-precise nanostructures are explored. Phase coherent control of nanomachines is necessary for performing effective energy and information conversion processes. The program will enable transformative new applications for controlling energy and information at the nanoscale, significantly impacting technologies which is relevant to computation, communications, nanofabrication, power generation, and detection.